Artemis III Core Stage Advances

NASA has successfully transported the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, designated for the Artemis III mission, marking a significant milestone in America’s lunar exploration efforts. The operation took place on April 20, 2026, progressing from the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans to the Pegasus barge, en route to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This core stage, integral to the Artemis III mission slated for 2027, represents the main structure of the SLS rocket. It houses crucial components like the liquid hydrogen and oxygen tanks. The transfer follows the successful test flight of the Artemis II mission, which orbited the Moon, setting the stage for the upcoming crewed lunar mission. Lori Glaze, acting associate administrator at NASA, emphasized the core stage’s role as the “backbone of Artemis III,” highlighting its significance in the broader goal of returning humans to the Moon and eventually leading to manned missions to Mars.

The core stage, standing 212 feet tall, is equipped with two propellant tanks that hold over 733,000 gallons of super-chilled liquid propellant. These are essential for powering the rocket’s four RS-25 engines, which will operate for more than eight minutes during launch, producing over 2 million pounds of thrust. The stage’s construction and transportation involve critical collaboration between NASA’s prime contractors, Boeing and L3Harris Technologies, who are responsible for its design, assembly, and engine manufacturing, respectively.

The Artemis III mission will test critical capabilities, including rendezvous and docking procedures with commercial spacecraft, to prepare for the subsequent Artemis IV mission that aims to land astronauts on the Moon in 2028. NASA’s SLS is currently the only rocket capable of carrying the Orion spacecraft, astronauts, and cargo to the Moon in a single mission, underscoring its pivotal role in the Artemis program.